Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (“ELISA”) is a biochemical technique commonly used as a medical diagnostic tool to detect the presence of an antibody or an antigen in a sample. During an ELISA, a sample containing an analyte is subjected to a biochemical process taking place on an insoluble carrier surface such as a microwell in a microtiter plate. Depending on the particular test being conducted, a predetermined capture antibody or bio-molecule (e.g., antigen) may be immobilized on the surface of each microwell, and controlled amounts of various fluids (e.g. blocking solution, washing solution, test sample, detection antibody, primary and secondary antibodies, and substrate) may be added to the microwell according to a predetermined protocol that includes separate incubation and wash steps. The result of the biochemical process may be viewed using an optical detector measuring absorbance, fluorescence, and/or luminescence, or other properties, to provide a qualitative and/or quantitative test result.
Although ELISAs provide useful information, the technique is time consuming due to the long incubation times during each assay step. The antibodies and reagents used in ELISAs are also expensive.